Retired Army medic Robin Krauth found an unexpected form of PTSD therapy through Lego building. which has significantly helped her manage post-traumatic stress symptoms such as debilitating nightmares and crippling anxiety.
In therapy for PTSD, Krauth struggled to maintain a sense of calm at home despite improvements during counseling. That changed when her husband gave her a 1,228-brick Hogwarts Castle Lego set, leading her to discover an effective PTSD therapy method.
“I was excited because I am a huge Harry Potter fan. But as I was building it, I also realized my concentration was up and my anxiety down. I was calm, peaceful,” Krauth said.
With that first set, Krauth found a therapeutic activity that worked for her, improved her mental state, boosted her confidence, and introduced her to the world of other adult Lego fans.
The Benefits of Lego Therapy for PTSD
Many veterans with PTSD participate in recreational activities to relieve tension, ease anxiety, and reduce stress. When part of an overall treatment plan, these activities are known as PTSD therapy or recreational therapy. Activities can range from rock climbing or fly fishing to more restful pastimes like knitting or painting, according to Brent Hawkins, a recreational therapy professor at Clemson University.
“For veterans with PTSD, they learn coping skills to deal with their symptoms,” Hawkins said.
How Lego Therapy Improved One Veteran’s Confidence
Building with Legos, particularly large portraits and landscape mosaics, has significantly improved Krauth’s mental state and confidence in public settings. Before discovering this form of PTSD therapy, she struggled to enter places like supermarkets or Walmart.
“You have to go into a shop to get these sets. And it turns out that’s part of the therapy—how long you can stay in a store or be out in public,” Krauth said.
The Therapeutic Value of Fun Activities in PTSD Therapy
Hawkins emphasizes that fun activities, like Lego building, have substantial therapeutic value. “When something is fun, we tend to engage in it more often, and the therapeutic values get bigger and bigger the more you do something,” Hawkins said.
Krauth’s passion for Lego building led her to join a Lego user group in St. Louis, Missouri, where she found a community of like-minded builders and honed her skills in creating complex mosaics.
A Lifeline Through Lego Therapy: A Veteran’s Story
Krauth, who was deployed to Baghdad in 2009, faced significant physical and psychological trauma, contributing to her PTSD. After returning home, she sought mental health counseling but remained largely isolated until she rediscovered the therapeutic benefits of Lego building as a form of PTSD therapy.
“It just helps to take your mind away from the things that caused the PTSD and the symptoms themselves. You need something to help you heal,” Krauth said.
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